Zoe Harrison has got the nod at fly half for England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against France, with full-back Ellie Kildunne and prop Hannah Botterman fit to return to the starting side.
Harrison edges out Holly Aitchison, who started the quarter-final against Scotland, for the No 10 shirt in John Mitchell’s Red Roses selection.
Kildunne is back available after coming through concussion return-to-play protocols, while Botterman is over the back spasms that brought a premature end to her outing against Australia at the end of the pool stages. Helena Rowland and Kelsey Clifford drop on to the bench.
Abbie Ward is also brought in to the starting forward pack at the expense of Rosie Galligan, with Mitchell selecting 22 of the 23 that beat France 40-6 in a warm-up game in Mont-de-Marsan ahead of the tournament.
The sole change is the presence of Aitchison on the bench after the playmaker missed that warm-up win with an ankle injury.
Harrison, in fine form at this World Cup, has seized the starting shirt this year after Aitchison spent 2024 as Mitchell’s first-choice at the position as England sought to expand their attacking game.
The 27-year-old started the last World Cup final against New Zealand and will win her 64th cap at Ashton Gate on Saturday. The presence of Harrison, Aitchison and Rowland in the same 23 gives Mitchell plenty of playmaking options within the squad.
“I am big on consistency and reliability and the 23 demonstrate that,” Mitchell said. “That is what I have backed.
“We have been really, really fortunate that Zoe has grown her game and is confident. From that point of view it is really important she plays because she suits the way we are playing at the moment. We don’t have to be perfect in this tournament, we just need to be effective and she is very effective at the moment.”
It is understood that Ward had been in line to start against Scotland but was disrupted by illness, with Galligan impressing alongside Morwenna Talling in another area of real strength for the Red Roses.
England have won their last 16 meetings with France though were given a real scare at Twickenham at the end of the Women’s Six Nations, pipping Les Bleues by a point in a 43-42 thriller after a thrilling second-half comeback from the visitors.
The Red Roses have won all 31 games they have played since defeat to New Zealand in the last World Cup final.
England XV: 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Maud Muir; 4 Morwenna Talling, 5 Abbie Ward; 6 Zoe Aldcroft, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Alex Matthews; 9 Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt, 10 Zoe Harrison; 11 Jess Breach, 12 Tatyana Heard, 13 Meg Jones, 14 Abby Dow; 15 Ellie Kildunne.
Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Rosie Galligan, 20 Maddie Feaunati; 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Holly Aitchison, 23 Helena Rowland.
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